How to Use Smart Bike Racks to Stop Thieves

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Challenge

BART wants cyclists to leave their bikes at its stations if they don’t need them, rather than taking them on crowded trains. To encourage parking them, it has 1,500 bike station spaces that are a combination of valet and self-park key card access.They’ve also had electronic lockers and conventional bike racks located in other areas of the stations. But they wanted even better security.

Solution

The transit authority started a pilot program to test a new high-tech bike rack called the Bikeep system. So far, they’ve had zero thefts, because the new bike racks are “massively safer,” Steve says. They have a built-in locking arm that hinges up and grabs the bike at two points—the wheel and the frame. It’s made of a heavy-grade steel tube that’s virtually impossible to cut through but also has wire inside that trips an alarm if breached. Cyclists access the Bikeep racks using their Bay Area regional transit card.

BART installed the first 10 Bikeep racks in an underground urban station in San Francisco, 10 more in an outdoor plaza, with a third set slated for another suburban station in coming weeks. “There are some very determined, very creative thieves here but we’re hoping not to tarnish the Bikeep record,” Steve says.

Lessons Learned

“One of the key things about cyclists is that they are all individuals,” Steve says. “We provide multiple bike parking optionsat each station so folks can use what they feel is right for them.” They also actively promote the more secure options along with how-to instructions to get users started.

Steve’s Job

Has worked in transportation his whole career, spending 22 years at RIDES for Bay Area Commuters as a research and evaluation manager, and 12 years with BART, where he started as a principal research analyst before taking charge of the bike program 7 years ago.

Steve’s Background

Grew up in the Bay Area, studied climate and architecture in grad school, getting a master’s in geography from UC Davis (’82), then moved back. Now lives in Berkeley with his wife and two kids. Commutes 14 miles round-trip by bike from Berkeley to Oakland every day. For his 60th birthday, he met his son in Italy and they rode bikes from Venice to Florence. “It’s just a great way to see the local area and get off the beaten path,” he says.

Startling Fact

Designed and built his own house with his wife, father-in-law, and friends.